Introducing Chirality into Hybrid Clusters from an Achiral Ligand: Synthesis and Characterization of Polyoxomolybdates Containing a Benzylarsonate Group

Benzylarsonic acid as a flotation collector was introduced into polyoxometalate chemistry and two new hybrid clusters, [( C6H5CH2AsO3) 2Mo5O15](4-) (1a) and [( C6H5CH2AsO3)(4)-Mo12O34](4)-(2a), were synthesized and characterized by chemical and spectral analysis. Self-assembly of 1a led to chiral crystals of compound 1, whereas compound 2 was found to be a racemic mixture of the inverted- Keggin hybrid cluster of 2a. Both compounds were characterized in the solid state, and their redox properties were examined.